Lesson 13 Trouble with the Hubble

哈勃望远镜的困境

一、词汇部分
1.Hubble /ˈhʌbəl/ n. 哈勃
2.telescope/'tɛlɪskop/ n. 望远镜
助记：tele- 远＋ scope 范围
扩展：telepath 心灵感应
扩展：teleportation心灵传输，瞬间移动

3.launch/lɔntʃ/ v. 发射
4.space/spes/ n. 空间
例句：I need more space.
扩展：spacious
5.NASA /'næsə/ n.(National Aeronautics and Space Administration) 国家航空和航天局
6.billion/'bɪljən/ n. 10亿
数字表达法：xx, xxx, xxx, xxx

7.faulty/ˈfɔlti/ adj. 有错误的
例句：I’m sorry. it’s all my fault.
搭配：faulty DNA 有缺陷的DAN (diseases caused by faulty DNA)

8.astronaut/'æstrə'nɔt/ n. 宇航员
9.shuttle/'ʃʌtl/ n. 航天飞机
例句：Where can I take the shuttle bus to ABC holtel/xxx university?

10.Endeavour /ɛnˈdɛvɚ/ n. “奋进”号
11.robot-arm n. 机器手
12.grab/ɡræb/ v. 抓
搭配：grab a bite 随便弄点吃的
例句：I don’t have time for lunch. But don’t worry. I’ll grab a bite on my way to work.

13.atmosphere/'ætməsfɪr/ n. 大气层
14.distant/'dɪstənt/ adj. 遥远的
扩展：close/distant
例句：We were pretty close when we were in college. But we are kind of distant now.

15.galaxy/'ɡæləksi/ n. 星系
16.universe/'junɪvɝs/ n. 宇宙
17.eagle /'igl/ eye 鹰眼

文章讲解

The Hubble telescope was launched into space by NASA on April 20,1990 at a cost of over a billion dollars. Right from the start there was trouble with the Hubble. The pictures it sent us were very disappointing because its main mirror was faulty! NASA is now going to put the telescope right, so it will soon be sending up four astronauts to repair it. The shuttle Endeavour will be taking the astronauts to the Hubble. A robot-arm from the Endeavour will grab the telescope and hold it while the astronauts make the necessary repairs. Of course, the Hubble is above the earth's atmosphere, so it will soon be sending us the clearest pictures of the stars and distant galaxies that we have ever seen. The Hubble will tell us a great deal about the age and size of the universe. By the time you read this, the Hubble's eagle eye will have sent us thousands and thousands of wonderful pictures.

文章精讲：
1.The Hubble telescope was launched into space by NASA on April 20,1990 at a cost of over a billion dollars. Right from the start there was trouble with the Hubble. The pictures it sent us were very disappointing because its main mirror was faulty!

1)知识点1:被动语态＋时间介词
被动语态：be + done
时间介词：on/in/at

2)知识点2:at a cost of …以..为代价

例：We live our life at a cost of losing our lives. We all get to live once and there only one way to spend your life, which means if you choose one particular way, you’ve got to give up so many other ways.

例：I just bought a new suit. It cost me 200 dollars.

扩展：it takes +时间 to do something
扩展：人＋ spend +时间／钱on something/in doing something
扩展：人＋pay for +东西

3)知识点3:right from the start 从一开始
例：I don’t like him right from the start.
例：I told you be careful of other people in your team right from the start. You never listen to me.
例：I knew it wouldn’t work out right from the start.

4)知识点4: have trouble with
例：I have trouble sleeping recently. I can’t fall asleep at night and I have to get up early to work every morning. So I get very little sleep, which makes me feel exhausted during the day.

2.The pictures it sent us were very disappointing because its main mirror was faulty! NASA is now going to put the telescope right, so it will soon be sending up four astronauts to repair it.

1)知识点1:定语从句that 的省略。
The pictures it sent us were very disappointing because its main mirror was faulty!

The programmesit finances（省略that的定语从句） bring returns（收益） far higher than can be expected from even highly rated universities.

The rate of return they get（定语从句省略that） is calculated as the uplift in earnings after the course of study, minus its cost

2)知识点2:put 小用法。
Put up with忍受—— Peter snores very loudly at night. I can’t put up with him any more.

Put away 放起来收好——You really need a girlfriend. Your room is so messy. Why don’t you put away all your books? They are everywhere.

Put off推迟——I’m sorry. but we have to put off the meeting until 4. pm because I’m still stuck in traffic now.

Put down 记下来——The first thing you need to do is…go buy yourself a notebook, and put down what your manager tell you to do.

Put 表达，说——Let me put it this way. Our factory is going to go bankrupt. So you have to find another job.


3. The shuttle Endeavour will be taking the astronauts to the Hubble. A robot-arm from the Endeavour will grab the telescope and hold it while the astronauts make the necessary repairs.

知识点1:将来进行时（will be doing sth）



4. Of course, the Hubble is above the earth's atmosphere, so it will soon be sending us the clearest pictures of the stars and distant galaxies that we have ever seen. The Hubble will tell us a great deal about the age and size of the universe. By the time you read this, the Hubble's eagle eye will have sent us thousands and thousands of wonderful pictures.

知识点1:逗号不能链接两个句子＋定语从句
Of course, the Hubble is above the earth's atmosphere, so it will soon be sending us the clearest pictures of the stars and distant galaxies that we have ever seen.

知识点2:by +时间
by +将来时间——－将来完成时
by +过去时间——－过去完成式
例：By 2020, our company will have gone public already.

课外阅读：

What is the best thing that ever happened to you for being nice?

In the early 2006, on an evening while waiting for my friend to pick me up from the bus station, I saw a young couple looking lost. They were poring over a map. They looked extremely exhausted.
I walked passed behind them to assess the situation. I overheard the woman worrying that they won't have enough money to pay for the taxi to go to the border of Singapore (my town is the border between Malaysia/Singapore) let alone any money to pay for a hotel. They have to catch a flight back to San Francisco from Changi Singapore Airport the next afternoon.
My friend arrived. I threw my bag through his open window, went to the couple and asked them if they would like a ride to the border checkpoint. They looked up at me, eyes worrying if this deal is for real. I insisted in helping them.
Turned out the guy had just finished his assignment in Iraq and the trip was a much needed one to get away from PTSD that he had to deal with after coming home from the war. They had spend what little money to travel and get a breath of fresh air. Although I'm curious to how the war in Iraq was at that time, I refrained myself from asking too much question that could trigger his anxiety. We drop them off at a cheap hotel near the checkpoint and paid for the room. The couple looked more than relieved, to the point where the gf hug me crying while thanking our generosity. I was 18 at that time, not much money in my pocket but the thought of helping those in distress sure feels good. I didn't see them again, but the couple took a picture of me and my friend on that night.